09 January
Personal Prompt: You invented a time machine, but it only allows you to change the events of one day in your past. What would you change and why?
Well firstly, yay me. I invented a time machine – an achievement my children always claimed they would make and I beat them to it!
Today I am so tempted to say I would change the day I was born – and make it not happen. But that feels a little too melodramatic and negative… Instead I would go back to a different day – another one I don’t remember, but one I believe has had a profound impact on my life.
I would return to October 1968 and ensure my six week old baby brother did not die.
That instead of being found dead and cold and blue in his cot after being lovingly put down for an afternoon nap, he would wake healthy and plump and red-faced, crying for a feed and waiting for a cuddle.
That instead of my father spending 40 minutes attempting to resuscitate his dead newborn son, he would instead pick him up, hug him and pass him to my mother for a nappy change. Because dads didn’t like to change nappies in the sixties.
That instead of my mother calling grandma to say, “He’s dead. I’ve killed my baby!” She would be whining about the exhaustion of raising two young children and bemoaning my over enthusiastic hugs and kisses a new little brother, while secretly thinking her own two children were the most beautiful, clever, perfect little humans to have ever graced this earth.
That instead of cot death mysteriously taking a fat, healthy, loved and nurtured baby, it simply went away and left me with my brother and with my family whole and unbroken.
That is the day I would change.
Creative Prompt: You invented a time machine! Which decade would you want to visit and why?
A whole decade to visit? Just for the kicks? Like in Back to the Future? Let’s assume it’s like Doctor Who and I can’t cross my own timeline and or go back and change anything. So then I don’t need to be deep and meaningful and reflective. But still – I can’t help myself. I think I’d go back to the life and times of Jesus. In the decade before he died. To ascertain a few things.
1. Did he really exist?
2. Is he actually a white man with an awesome beard living in the middle east?
3. What’s this business about his mother being a virgin? Did anyone actually believe that back then?!
4. What kind of man was he? A politician? Activist? A kind man? A good man? An educated man? A ladies’ man? A generous man? A strong man? Who was he really?
5. Did he have followers and disciples? Or just good friends?
6. What was his genuine contribution to society?
7. How did he really feel about Mary Magdalene? What was their relationship status?
8. What crime did he actually commit that brought him to crucifixion? If any… Was it a real crime? Or a political set-up?
9. Was he really crucified?
10. What’s with this resurrection business? Did anyone actually believe it back then?!
Apologies to those of the Christian faith – I genuinely mean no disrespect. I am just sincerely curious about how such a man (assuming he existed – for which many believe there is an overwhelming amount of evidence) came to be worshipped and have an entire religion founded in his name. A religion that has had a profound effect (much of it good and much of it evil) on humankind the world over, for two millennia. It would be a fascinating thing to discover the truth.
Come on kids – build that time machine for me!
